Bessora is the daughter of a Swiss mother and a Gabonese diplomat. She was born in Brussels and grew up in Europe, the United States and Africa. Following a trip to South Africa, she resumed anthropology studies in Paris, then published novels and short stories, including Les Tâches d'encre (novel, Serpent à plumes, 2000), Prix Fénéon, Cueillez-moi jolis Messieurs (novel, Gallimard, 2007), Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire and Les Orphelins (novel, JC Lattès, 2021) which explores the complexity of identity in Apartheid South Africa.